VirusTotal Launches Uploader Utility for Mac OS X

VirusTotal, the popular service that lets users analyze suspicious files and URLs to help facilitate the detection of malware, has launched a Mac OS X version of its VirusTotal Uploader utility.

In September 2012, Google acquired VirusTotal, which lets users submit a file that may be suspect and scans it using the engines of dozens of antivirus products to see if the file in question has been marked as malicious by any of the vendors.

The VirusTotal Uploader tool enables security researchers to easily submit files to VirusTotal. The Windows version of the utility has been around for years and it has benefited from numerous improvements. Some members of the community have even developed alternatives, like PhrozenSoft.

Similar to the Windows variant, the OS X version of VirusTotal Uploader is easy to utilize and lets users simply drag and drop files, folders or applications in the Uploader window in order to scan them with more than 50 antivirus solutions. Files can also be scanned by right-clicking on them and selecting the app from the “Open With” menu.

The software has been tested on Mac OS X 10.8 and 10.9, and users who uncover bugs and those who have ideas for new features are advised to contact VirusTotal.

Apple’s popular operating system is being increasingly targeted by cybercriminals, resulting in security companies and researchers focusing more on analyzing threats aimed at the OS X platform.

“Hopefully this will lead to VirusTotal receiving more Mac applications, diving deeper into an increasingly targeted OS by attackers and allowing antivirus companies and researchers making use of VirusTotal's backend to build stronger defenses against these threats,” VirusTotal’s Karl Hiramoto noted in a blog post.